The Schools of the Sacred Heart hold many important traditions, however, the student favorite is undoubtedly Congé. Once a year, every school selects a day, unknown to the majority of the students to celebrate and miss class. The activities aren’t always the same which further adds to the surprise. This year, the boys and girls of Stuart Hall High School and Convent of the Sacred Heart High School took a trip up to Six Flags: Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo for their special day. The event took place on March 23, the Wednesday before Spring Break.

The Stuart Hall High School boys learned it was Congé after participating in a Lenten Reconciliation Chapel with Mr. Vasquez. Students pinned pieces of flash paper with their sins onto a board that was in the center of the gym floor for everyone to look at. As the service wound to a close, an RSCJ sister lit the pieces of paper on fire. As the papers burned and disintegrated into the air, five letters appeared etched into the board: Congé. Air horns rang out and rolls of toilet paper were thrown around the gym as the realization set in: It was Congé.

After loading onto busses headed for the amusement park, the students arrived in Vallejo after a quick drive. From there they were set free around Six Flags to ride rollercoasters, eat food, and have fun. Gordon Smit, from the class of 2018, had this to say: “I had a great time up at Six Flags. Spending time with friends and getting a day off was an amazing blessing and a great way to start my Spring Break. As someone who didn’t go to Stuart Hall for Boys, this was only my second Congé and the tradition has definitely lived up to its name. Now i’m just excited to see what we do next year”. Food was provided by the school and they even reserved an entire area in the park just for the students and faculty of the two high schools to eat and relax. Rides like Medusa, Kong, and the Superman roller coaster proved to be favorites among thrill seeking students and teachers alike. Overall, after a hard school year, Congé continues to be a great way to unwind for a day and gives students a surprise to look forward to.

While Congé seems like an easy and nice day, credit must go to the faculty and students who helped make it happen. A special shoutout must be given to one of our newest faculty members, Mr. Emerson, who as the new head of the student council played a vital role in making this day happen. On top of that, credit must also be given to our Senior Student Council members who worked side by side with Mr. Emerson to ensure that the day went as smoothly as possible. Days like Congé require planning months in advance to provide the most fun while not affecting things Stuart Hall High School and Convent of the Sacred Heart High Schools extremely competitive sports teams or any of the many service and special events our school hosts.